By Mark Baber
January 8 – As the numbers of new Ebola patients falls off dramatically in Liberia, with just eight new infections reported in 29 December to January 4 reporting period, the Liberian Football Federation has announced the resumption of competitive matches “with immediate effect,” marking a major milestone in the impoverished country’s struggle against the deadly disease which has killed at least 3,471 people in Liberia.
Musa Bility, the president of the Liberian Football Association, made the announcement that football activities would restart in tandem with a Liberian government announcement that schools would reopen in February for the first time in six months. Bility urged that players keep in mind the preventative measures to halt the spread of Ebola.
The Liberian Football Association called a halt to football in the country in late July 2014, early in the battle against the disease when only 127 deaths had been recorded, with the authorities and football stars such as George Weah helping to raise awareness of the threat.
FIFA, working in conjunction with the United Nations, provided aid to the nations hardest hit by Ebola, including the use of its solidarity fund to support the member associations of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. In Liberia, FIFA offered up the use of the new stadium in Monrovia for two Ebola treatment centres, crucial in the battle against the disease.
Speaking in September, FIFA President Sepp Blatter said that, “thanks to the continuous fruitful and fundamental collaboration between FIFA and the United Nations, today we can use the power of football to combat the Ebola epidemic. To allay any concerns regarding the impact of the treatment units on the recently installed pitch, FIFA has also proposed to cover the costs of any damage.”
Dire predictions as to the potential scale of the disaster, based on the evidence of early infection rates, have failed to materialise. This is not due to the introduction of new drugs or vaccines, which are only just being put on trial, but to an effective medical and humanitarian response, including isolation and care of patients including providing adequate hydration and nutrition, contact tracing and management, safe handling of victim’s bodies and safe burial, the establishment of a coordinating incident management system and intensive public education.
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